gamescom is the largest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment in Europe and is organised by the Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware (BIU). It is one of the few conferences that Blizzard Entertainment attends.

Info needed when signing up: Your name; Costume type (e.g. “draenei paladin” or “Jim Raynor”); add other useful information about your outfit, such as “Tier 6 armor set”, or anything else that will help the judges fully appreciate your creation! For example, what materials it is made from, how much it weighs, etc.

Once you have signed up, Blizzard will get in touch with you confirming your participation, with more details of where to be and when. Blizzard will also send you a set of contest rules which you must agree to in order to participate.

The deadline for email signups is 23:59 CET on Wednesday August 14.

Will take place at Blizzard's gamescom booth.

Open to individuals aged 13 or over. Minors under 18 must have parental authorization.

The winner will get an expenses-paid trip for two to the ultimate gaming experience – BlizzCon 2013, to be held this November 8-9 in Anaheim, California – courtesy of SteelSeries and J!NX. Flights, accommodation and BlizzCon tickets for the winner and a friend will all be covered.

The second-place prize is an awesome Alienware 14 gaming laptop worth €1,700, and there are lots more runner-up prizes also up for grabs, including SteelSeries mousemats and headsets, J!NX T-shirts, Blizzard universe books from Panini, and many more rare and exclusive goodies.

Description: Join us at the Blizzard booth as we commence proceedings with a chance to meet our executive and development teams. In attendance will be Frank Pearce (Executive Vice President, Product Development and Co-Founder), Jonny Ebbert (Senior Game Designer, StarCraft II), Tom Chilton (Game Director, World of Warcraft), Chris Robinson (Art Director, World of Warcraft), Jay Wilson (Game Director, Diablo III) and Josh Mosqueira (Lead Designer, Diablo III) – all of whom will be available for subsequent signing sessions.

Additionally, there’ll be an orchestral presentation showcasing music from World of Warcraft.

Interview with World of Warcraft Development Team

Date: 19 August 2011 Friday, 12:15

Description: Tom Chilton will be on the Blizzard booth for an interview about the ongoing development of World of Warcraft.

dance contest

Date: 19 August 2011 Friday at 16:00

Sign up: If you wish to apply for pre-registration in this contest, send an email with the subject [dance contest] to us at gamescom2011@blizzard.com, including your name, date of birth and the details of the dance you will be performing. Please make sure to read the rules before entering. All selected entrants will be contacted by us via email.

Description: Impress our judges with your best rendition of a World of Warcraft dance and you could win fantastic prizes from our partners. In addition to the pre-registration by email, you will be able to sign up for this contest directly at gamescom by visiting our booth, located at hall 6.1, B21 and asking for the Dance Contest sign up. The contest will start at the Blizzard booth at 4 p.m. CEST on August 19 so make sure you are there a little earlier to join in!

costume contest

Date: 20 August 2011 Saturday at 16:00

Sign up: Send an email to gamescom2011@blizzard.com with the subject [costume contest] containing your name, date of birth, and the name or a brief description of the Blizzard-related costume you will be entering. Please make sure to read the rules before entering. All selected entrants will be contacted by us via email.

Description: Impress our judges with your best costume inspired by one of the Blizzard game universes and you could win a trip to BlizzCon 2011, with the tickets, transportation, and hotel accommodation paid for by our sponsors for you and one other person.

Sponsored by: J!NX, Panini and SteelSeries.

Developer Signing Sessions

Date: twice daily

Description: Your chance to get your very own autograph from members of our developer and executive teams. Please note that special Blizzard 20th anniversary signing postcards will be provided for the occasion.

World of Warcraft Live raids

Date: 19 and 20 August 2011 Saturday and Sunday

Description: The well-known guilds of Ensidia and For the Horde will be fighting the most challenging encounters in Azeroth in exciting live raid sessions.

Blizzard Quiz

Date: several times each day

Description: Show your knowledge of all the Blizzard franchises and win fantastic prizes!